Patent 12080562 was granted and assigned to Lam Research on September, 2024 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
A method for selectively etching a stack with respect to a mask is provided. An atomic layer etch is provided to at least partially etch the stack, wherein the atomic layer etch forms at least some residue. An ion beam is provided to etch the stack, wherein the ion beam etch removes at least some of the residue from the atomic layer etch.